Marnie

Kwiziq community member

19 July 2018

19/07/18

Oh now I see...I need a new car would be ‘j’ai besoin d’acheter une nouvelle voiture’!

Marnie

Kwiziq community member

19 July 2018

19/07/18

actually i do not understand. For me it would be useful to know how often avoir envie de is used to mean ´need’ and in what context. How is it different from ´avoir besoin dé’ . And when does one use n’avoir envie dque ´ and when to use expressions with ´vouloir’.

Cécile

Kwiziq language super star

20 July 2018

20/07/18

Hi Marnie,

'J'ai envie d'une nouvelle voiture' means, 'I feel like (having) a new car'. Here, it is a wish rather than a need.

If you car is 24 years old and you feel you are in need of a new car you will say. "J'ai besoin de changer ma voiture'" or something like "Il faut (absolument)queje change ma voiture." which is a bit stronger.

Hope this helps!

Marnie

Kwiziq community member

20 July 2018

20/07/18

But you give ´I need a new’ something in the lesson. Perhaps that usage could be removed....? Merci.

Cécile

Kwiziq language super star

21 July 2018

21/07/18

Hi Marnie,

I can understand your wish to remove avoir envie de to mean a 'need or want to go' as you find it confusing but it is one of the meanings of 'avoir envie de' which could be very useful to anyone finding him or herself in a French speaking hospital, for instance.

Avoir envie d'uriner/d'aller à la selle = To have an urge to urinate/defecate

conveys an express need for bodily functions.

Marnie

Kwiziq community member

21 July 2018

21/07/18

Thanks for clarifying...I didn’t want to remove it ...just to understand the nuances and raison d’etre For its use!